1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing technology and, more particularly, to a technology for reproducing a moving image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a streaming technology has been suggested in which a web server distributes several different types of coded data (hereinafter, also referred to as “video streams”) obtained by coding a moving image at several different types of video bit rates and in which a web client reproduces the moving image while dynamically switching the type of video streams. This technology is also referred to as “adaptive streaming”. In the present specification, the technology is also referred to as “adaptive streaming” in the following.
The present inventors have realized that, in adaptive streaming, a plurality of types of video streams that correspond to different bit rates are not always coded in such a manner that the video streams are mutually compatible and that, as a result, there are cases where there is a disturbance of the display of a moving image when the type of a video stream to be reproduced is switched in a web client.